While Defence Minister Brendan Nelson says that significant progress is being made towards the Iraqi Government taking control of its own security situation, Australian troops will continue to help the Iraqis with training and building their defence force.
The 20 new soldiers will join the extra 38 troops announced earlier this month, who will join a 450-strong taskforce that had previously protected Japanese engineers.
The Australians could also be asked to provide support for the Iraqi authorities in crisis situations, but Mr Nelson’s statement doesn’t specify what might constitute a crisis.
Following the completion of their mission with the Japanese in Al Muthanna, Australian troops have moved to Camp Terendak at the Tallil airbase to commence their new role.
Before taking on duties in Dhi Qar the Australians still have to negotiate what they call a Memorandum of Understanding with the governor of the province.
Approximately an additional 20 soldiers will be deployed to Iraq to support the joint role in Dhi Qar and Al Muthanna provinces.
Bodies found
Just hours after the announcement the bodies of 51 people who appeared to have been torture before being killed where found strewn around Baghdad.
That took the body count in the city for three days to 129.
The bodies were found at different locations around the capital. Many of the victims had been blindfolded, their arms and legs were bound before they were tortured and killed.
Also in Baghdad a suicide bomber has killed two US soldiers and wounded 25 more in one of the worst attacks on coalition troops.
The suicide bomber detonated his vehicle "next to a hardened structure the guards were guarding" west of Baghdad, the US military said, killing the two soldiers instantly and wounding another 25.
The military did not specify the exact location of the attack but said the explosion caused debris to be scattered into a concentrated troop area.
Four of the wounded are believed to be in serious condition. They were evacuated by helicopter to a military hospital.
In the past few months, the US military's losses have jumped across Iraq. Since the start of this month, at least 25 servicemen have died, almost all in rebel attacks.